[1] On the one hand, video games can be both entertaining and educational. [2] Users, or gamers, are transported into virtual worlds which are often more exciting and engaging than real-life pastimes. [3] Although virtual reality is a great tool, it is far from perfect, and it affects the way our brain acts. [4] This is especially the case for the cells in the hippocampus, the part of your brain that is responsible for navigation, and so, relies heavily on inputs that give you information about your location and your direction. [5] From an educational perspective, these games encourage imagination and creativity, as well as concentration, logical thinking and problem solving, all of which are useful skills outside the gaming context. [6] Furthermore, it has been shown that computer simulation games can improve users’ motor skills and help to prepare them for real-world tasks, such as flying a plane. [7] However, I would argue that these benefits are outweighed by the drawbacks. [8] Gaming can be highly addictive because users are constantly given scores, new targets and frequent rewards to keep them playing. [9] Many children now spend hours each day trying to progress through the levels of a game or to get a higher score than their friends. [10] This type of addiction can have effects ranging from lack of sleep to problems at school, when homework is sacrificed for a few more hours on the computer or console. [11] The rise in obesity in recent years has also been linked in part to the sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise that often accompany gaming addiction. [12] There are programs in-person and online support groups which are dedicated to helping people break free from addiction to video games. [13] The key factor to ending video game addiction is to stop playing the game, which is why many video game addicts made a successful recovery only when they discarded their gaming equipment.